434 



THE PENIS. 



muscular fibres, and in many of them small blood-vessels and nerves 

 occupy the interior. 



The intertrabecular spaces thus form a labyrinth of intercommuni- 

 cating venous areolge divided by the trabecular tissue, and opening 

 freely from one corpus cavernosum to the other tlirough the septum, 

 especially in front. The blood is carried away from these spaces by 

 two sets of veins, the one joining the prostatic plexus and pudendal 

 veins below ; the others passing into the dorsal vein superiorly. Of 

 these last some issue from between the corpus cavernosum and the 

 spongy body of the urethra, encircling the penis nearly at right angles, 

 while others pass more directly into the dorsal vein from the upper 

 surface. 



The principal arteries of the corpora cavernosa are the cavernous 

 branches of the pudic arteries (profandge penis), of the right and left 

 sides ; but the dorsal artery of the penis also sends small twigs 

 through the fibrous sheath of the corpora cavernosa, along the upper 

 sm-face, especially in the fore part of the penis. \Yithin the cavernous 

 tissue, the numerous branches of arteries are supported by the trabecute, 

 in the middle of which they run, and terminate in two modes ; some of 

 them subdividing into branches of capillary minuteness which open into 

 the intertrabecular spaces ; while others form tendril-like twigs which 

 project into the spaces, and end in peculiar curling dilated extremities 

 to which attention was first called by J. Midler, who named them heli- 

 cine arteries, and regarded them as a special structure belonging to the 

 erectile tissue. The extremity of each curled dilatation would appear 



Fig. 315. Fig. 315.— Helicine Arteries with 



THEIR SHEATHS, &c. (fi-om Henle). 

 Magnified with a low power. 



A and B, from the corpus cavernosum 

 jienis ; D, from the corxjus si^ongiosum 

 urethrte ; C, transverse section of one of 

 the helicine arteries ; in this and the 

 other figures the smaller lateral pro- 

 longations of the arterial vessels into the 

 sheath are shown ; '' *, fasciculi of con- 

 nective tissue passing off from the sum- 

 mit of two of the sheaths. 



to be bound down by a small 

 fibrous band, which according to 

 Henle is usually solid, but is 

 said by Iviilliker to contain a 

 capillary continuation of the 

 blood-vessel. The helicine ar- 

 teries are most abuudant in the 

 posterior part of the corpora 

 cavernosa, and are found in the 

 corresponding part of the corpus 

 spongiosum also ; but they have 

 not been seen in the glans penis. 

 Various views have been taken 



by different anatomists of the nature of these tufted vascular processes. 



The very full researches of Langer appear to show that they are nothing 



